


The Names Have Been Changed to Protect The Guilty

by KrissyG927



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, I'll add them as I go - Freeform, My usual angst and smut bullshit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2020-07-20 11:11:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19991197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrissyG927/pseuds/KrissyG927
Summary: It’s my day off, and I just gave myself a migraine.I hope you’ll let me know what you think.I do not own The Walking Dead or the Character’s, but they are always on my mind, obviously.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Magentas_Nightmare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magentas_Nightmare/gifts).



His mother always said a woman was going to be his downfall and Marcy Dixon never worried about her oldest son, Merle.

But Daryl her second born? She worried and prayed over that boy all her life, he was the one she worried about.

He was the sweet one, the one who loved animals and every creature that walked this earth. In another life, he would have been an excellent veterinarian, but that wasn’t the family business.  
He was a soft touch and not made for this world. That was why she worried.

Daryl brought home every sick and injured animal, so much that at one time they had five cats and three dogs. It was a good thing Daryl’s father died years ago; he would never have allowed it.

Marcy loved animals too; she supposed that was where he got it from. But she worried, he was always picking up strays.

She knew one day he would meet a woman that would go right through him and he would be hers forever, no matter what. Marcy wanted that for him, for both her sons.

She just prayed for the right woman; Daryl was a soft touch, and people might take advantage of that.

His mother just prayed he’d find a real woman, someday.

But at forty years old that hadn’t happened for him. His mother was long gone, but he visited her grave often. Merle never went, but Daryl did, he talked to her too. He had loved his Ma, and ovarian cancer had taken her from him too soon.

He laid flowers at her grave on her birthday and mother’s day without fail every year. He also brought them on his birthday and Merle’s birthday. She was their mother; she gave them life, and that was his tribute to her.

Daryl and Merle still lived together, two bachelors living the life. That was what Merle said; Daryl wasn’t all that thrilled, truth be told.

They both ran the garage, now that their mother was gone. Their Uncle Abe helped them just as he had helped their mother before them. The three of them had an excellent business going and they did well for themselves in the small Georgia town they lived in all their lives.

Merle worked on the bikes; there wasn’t a motorcycle made that he couldn’t work on. He took care of all the Harleys, Triumphs, Indians and any other bike in three counties. Daryl did cars and ran the tow truck.

He had just gotten done towing Hershel Greene’s daughter Maggie’s car again that night when he met her.

Maggie drove an old Jag that needed to be put down long ago. She wouldn’t have it, though; she just had Daryl fix everything that went wrong with it.

Pretty soon it would be entirely rebuilt, Daryl supposed. It was a nice car if you overlooked the duct tape covering the rips in the seats and the rearview mirror that fell no matter how many times Daryl fixed it.

This time he thought it needed a total rear end job, this was going to kill his whole weekend, not that he had any plans. He never had any plans really, just to go out with Merle to the bar once in a while.

He never charged Maggie for labor; she dated his best friend, Glenn and that wouldn’t be right.  
The car was green too, another reason she wouldn’t give it up.

He had just dropped Christine off at the garage and was on his way home. That was the name he gave the car, Christine, like the movie about the haunted car because he was pretty sure this Christine was haunted too.

Maggie even laughed when he told her that, a while ago. The interior lights on the dash were permanently on, including the check engine light.

Daryl had been over that engine with a fine-toothed comb. That light shouldn’t be on, but it was.  
Christine had a mind of her own and Daryl Dixon was not changing that.

So it was eight o’clock and Christine was at the garage, Daryl was driving home, and that was when he saw her.

She was hitchhiking, he couldn’t believe it. A woman about his age, or maybe younger wearing a pair of cargo pants and a t-shirt. She carried a multicolored backpack.

That was what drew his eyes off the road in the first place, the bright colors in the bag she carried. That and her gorgeous long red hair, just the right shade.

Daryl had to stop, his conscious would never let him do anything else it would be dark soon, and this was a long stretch of highway. It could be dangerous for a woman out all by herself. He never picked up a hitchhiker before, but he was going to this time.

He stopped the truck and backed up to where she was, kicking up a little dust in the process.  
She looked at him, with her hand shielding her eyes from the setting sun. She watched as he reached over and opened the door.

“Lady, are you nuts?” He said. “Hitching is dangerous, don’t you know they're all kinds of psycho’s out there?”

She didn’t say anything, just walked a little closer to the door he had opened to speak to her. He was leaning across the seat of the tow truck and she was struck by his bright blue eyes.

“I’m not a psycho.” He added and didn’t know why.

She peered in the door and looked at him more, he was very good looking.

“Look even if you were Mister, there’s no way you're worse than the psycho I just got away from.”

And she got in tossing her backpack on the floor between them.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I don’t know a thing about how banks run, I took a lot of latitude in this story to fit my plans. Please excuse me I know it doesn’t work like Tara and Jamie did it.  
> Review me

She didn’t say a word as he pulled out. He chanced a glance over at her, he didn’t want to be creepy or scare her. This girl looked a little skittish, like a bird caught in a trap.

They drove for a while and every so often he would look at her. She seemed okay from what he could tell.

Her hair was curly and up in a loose bun, with tendrils falling all around her face. Looking closer, he saw a deep bruise on her collarbone, just below the line of her shirt. Someone beat her up, but not her face.

That meant it wasn’t the first time, whoever did it, knew where to hit so no one would see.

That made him so angry. His father had hit his mother once when he and Merle were little, gave her a black eye. He has killed in a car accident not soon after.

Daryl was not stupid; he suspected his Uncle Abe had something to do with it; a little slice in the brake lines or something.

Merle was sure of it, and they didn’t care. You don’t hit women, period, especially his mother. They didn’t even cry at the old fuck’s funeral either.

You don’t hit women. Period.

“Where ya headed ma ’me?” He asked.

“I’m Jamie, call me Jamie.” She said looking over at him with the bluest eyes he had ever seen. 

They were like the ocean he had seen pictures of; he had never been out of Georgia.

But if he had seen a real ocean, her eyes would be like it; he was sure.

“I’m Daryl.” He replied, thinking she probably didn’t give him her real name. But he told her his; it was on the side of the truck.

She started to laugh, holding on to her backpack. Whatever she had in there must be substantial Daryl thought to himself. Maybe she had gold bars in there, or she had robbed a bank.

She clutched it tight after she got in, thinking twice about throwing it around the cab of the truck, be supposed.

“What’s so funny?” He asked, thinking she was making fun of his hick name. Even though he had just met her, this woman exuded class; she was someone special. If she were making fun of him, he wouldn’t blame her.

“Nothing at all.” She laughed. “Do you believe in fate Daryl?”

He considered this. He did not believe in that or any other kind of magic or witchcraft. He believed in what he could see with his own two eyes.

This woman was running, apparently from something bad, that he could see.

“I believe in cheeseburgers, no offense Jamie, but you look like you need one.” He said grinning just a little.

Then she laughed this incredible laugh that sounded like music to him. The radio in his truck didn’t work, but he had all the music he needed right now.

“Yes, I could use one Daryl.” She replied.

He nodded and came to a stop at the next intersection. There was a diner on the corner, Daryl turned right and pulled into the parking lot. He motioned her to wait as he stopped the truck and cut the engine, then he got out of the truck and walked around to her side.

His Mamma raised a gentleman after all.

He opened the door for her and helped her out. She went for her backpack, and he huffed at her.

“You can bring that but you ain't paying.”

“I have money.” She said.

“That’s great, but you don’t need it here.”

He said leading her into the diner. She brought the backpack.

“You landed in Georgia, lady not New York City, people’s beautiful here. I invited you, I pay.”  
He said nice with a drawl that made her hair stand on end. She wouldn’t insult him by telling him she was well aware of how people in New York were like. She had just come from there.

Jamie didn’t want to talk, but she would listen to his smoky voice all damn night. She had never heard a real southern accent before. She picked the right direction to go in, yes she did.

Her backpack was full of money, and she had been hitching, as he called it, for three days. Since she clocked her husband with an expensive sculpture that was on the foyer table in their penthouse on Park Avenue.

He hit her for the last time.

The money came from their accounts and a safety deposit box Greg kept that he didn’t know she knew about. Her best friend, Tara, worked at the bank and Greg didn’t know her.

Tara was from AL-ANON, that’s where they met. It was a group for spouses and loved ones of Alcoholics. Jamie was there because of Greg. Tara because of her sister, Claudia. They had known each other for three years.

It was always the plan for Jamie to disappear. She and Tara had been planning it for eighteen months.

Tara had broken protocol by telling Jamie about the safety deposit box, but it could never be traced back to her. She let Jamie in the safety deposit box too, which was illegal. But it was after hours and the cameras had gone offline because of a storm.

It was dumb luck really, one of those things that you see in movies, everything happened and lined up just right.

On June 9th, 2015 Jamie Paterson disappeared with a butt load of her husband’s money.

She hitchhiked through four or five states; she lost count, afraid to rent a car or let anyone see her. Because she knew, he would be looking for her. Well, not her exactly.

Greg would come after the money; she had fifty thousand on her right now, and the other four hundred fifty thousand was in a locker at a bus station in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

It was close enough so Tara could retrieve it if she needed it. If she had to, she could hitch back up there and get it herself if she needed to. Maybe she would buy a car at some point if someone would sell to her without ID, because sure as the sun came up every day, Greg was probably already looking.

But right now she wanted that cheeseburger, with the stranger who had the bluest eyes she had ever seen and that smoky, sexy voice unlike any, she had ever heard before.


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I love you all who read and leave me love on my stories. It makes my day read reviews, especially this past week, which has been hard, and I keep all of them. You have no idea how happy they make me.

The waitress took their order and brought them their drinks. Black coffee for Daryl and tea for Jamie. She seemed to know Daryl, said her name was Karen and asked about his brother. Jamie looked around; this was a small diner in a small town, maybe she could disappear here. She had to find a way to call Tara soon, though; she didn’t have a cellphone.

She left everything she had in New York. Everything she had in the world was in her backpack now, just a few toiletries and a few changes of clothes.  
Well, and the money, she still didn’t believe she had the balls to take it.

“So, why were you hitching?” Daryl asked her taking a sip of his coffee.

He wanted to know what her deal was, a woman out hitching on the highway when it was almost dark. It was dangerous and stupid, Jamie looked smart if a person could look smart. There was something about her, she wasn't from Georgia, and she had a northern accent. He wanted to know her story. Why he was interested, he couldn’t figure out. The only thing he could come up with was, he wanted to know how someone could be so careless to hitchhike.

“No car.” She said matter of factly. She was not giving one bit more information, she did not know him. He was kind enough to give her a ride and now was feeding her. But that didn’t mean she had to trust him. She didn’t, not really. But she did get into his tow truck with him. Something must have told her he was safe.

Jamie didn’t trust anyone but Tara. She couldn’t.

“I got that, but why?” He said. “Why would a woman be hitchhiking out in the dark practically? Unless you’re on the run. You kill someone?”

He said only half-serious, there was something about him that made her feel at ease, she was a good judge of character. Well, except that one time, when she said: “I do”. But otherwise, she was superb at reading people. He looked a little rough around the edges, like a mechanic, which she knew by the tow truck he drove, and he looked kind.

She was just about to answer when Karen came back with their two cheeseburgers and some fries. They both had ordered their burgers rare and their fries well done. Karen put their food on the table and asked if they needed anything else. Daryl asked for more ketchup, and Karen reached for a bottle off the empty table beside them.

“Enjoy.” She said giving them an award winning a smile and she was on her way to the next customers.

“Well?” Daryl questioned, pouring a ton of ketchup on his fries, just like she did. There were two kinds of people in the world, pourers, and dippers. They were both pourers, interesting, they both covered their fries in ketchup.

“Well, what?” She played innocent, and he noticed her eyes for the first time, blue like sapphires, so beautiful. Then he mentally told himself to get a grip and made a mental note never to say that in front of Merle. But it was true just the same; she had beautiful eyes, and maybe that’s what made him pull over, to begin with.

“Look, I saw your bruises, you running from whoever did that to you?” He said taking a bite of his burger.

He didn’t miss a thing did he; Jamie thought as she reached for a fry. She thought she had hidden that well, considering some of the bruises still hurt.

She looked at him, trying to decide what to say. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all, “Look, I’m gonna give you some money and be on my way, Daryl.” Jamie replied as she started to reach into her backpack. This was the best option for her; she didn’t need to involve him in her problems. It was bad enough Tara was involved, and she didn’t know this guy.

“No. I’m taking you to my friend Andrea’s, she rents out rooms. You spend your money on that. She’ll give you a good deal.”

“I don’t know.”

But she did, if she could pay this woman in cash. There would be less of a paper trail. She needed to stop and regroup, catch her breath and lay her head down somewhere for more than a few hours. Today was June 13th; she had been on the run for four days.

“She’s real people Andrea, she’ll take cash, and I reckon that’s how you want to pay. Right?” He said.

A warm bed in a small nowhere town sounded just like what she needed. It sounded better and better actually the more he talked about it.

“Do you know how I can get a cellphone?” She asked.

“Wait you been on the road with no cell phone?” He couldn’t believe her; the woman had a death wish obviously.

Jamie shrugged, and Daryl was incredulous now. He took a bite of his burger to calm down. He chewed, and she took a bite of hers, much smaller than his. She wasn’t really hungry anymore.

“You are trying to get killed aren’t you?”

“Just didn’t have time.” She said giving him a slight smile.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow and take you, it’s too late tonight, you need to call someone, your husband maybe?” He asked with a slight lift in his voice. “You can use my phone.”

“I’m not married,” Jamie answered and immediately regretted it. He knew she was lying; she had no idea how he knew, but he did.

He saw right through her, and she had lied. Daryl didn’t feel the need to give her a hard time about it; He had suspected a husband was the one that hurt her. It usually was the husband, as he well knew. Maybe she had a good reason for lying.

Yeah, Dixon, like she killed him or something. His inner voice yelled through his head. Why else would she be all sketch ball out there hitching?

He didn’t say anything to her, but she felt the need to explain now to this kind stranger who was helping her for no reason.

She had thought he was going to say he’d take her to his place and work out that kind of deal. But that wasn’t what he did, this man was a gentleman. Jamie hadn’t met one of them in a very long time. Still, she had to know how he knew.

“How did you know?”

“Your ring finger.” He pointed a french fry at her and lifted his eyes to her. “It’s a different color than the rest of your fingers; you can tell a ring was there, and not too long ago.” He pointed to his temple with his forefinger. “Observant.”

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Andrea Harrison and her sister Amy ran a boarding house about two miles away from where Daryl and Merle lived. It was a big white country place with a wraparound porch and even a few swings and rocking chairs on it. They had been running it for two years since their parents died within months of each other. They had been working there all their lives, though, Daryl went to school with both of them.

When he pulled up, they were both waiting on the porch. He winced, and Jamie noticed but didn’t say anything. Something was up here.

Amy flirted with him every time she saw him. He didn’t know what else to do to let her know he wasn’t interested. He never went for blondes and she was far too young for him, he wasn’t that guy. Daryl liked girls with darker hair, or red, coincidently and closer to his age, coincidently again.

He had called Andrea and said he had a customer for her, so they waited for his arrival. He got out and helped Jamie out of the truck. He was a gentleman, how refreshing, Jamie thought to herself, when was the last time a man didn’t manhandle her, she couldn’t remember...

They walked towards the sisters and Amy was out of her chair and coming down the stairs as Andrea rolled her eyes for the millionth time. Even she knew it was never going to happen; Amy hadn’t gotten the memo, though.

She came rushing towards them with a big smile on her face and her arms, open as if this time he was going to let her hug him.

He never let her get near him; he didn’t like people touching him.

Daryl led Jamie up as Amy was saying. “Hiya Daryl, how’s it going?”

Daryl blanched because Amy was making eyes at him again like she always did. A thought came to him, and he just went with it. It was crazy and way out of line, but he had no choice. Amy had him in her sights again; maybe this would make her back off.

She owed him one for lying.

“Fine Amy, Andrea, I hope you are both well. This is Jamie; my girlfriend.”


	4. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I always picture the song This Kiss by Faith Hill in this chapter.

Jamie woke up in an actual bed the next morning. It was a big queen sized bed and had fluffy bedding that she just wanted to sink into. It was warm and cozy, and she never wanted to leave this bed. It sure beat sleeping sitting up in the bus station.

It beat sleeping in Greg’s penthouse too, but even the bus station beat that.

She was warm and not afraid, thanks to Andrea and Daryl.

She smelled something delightful too, coming in under the door. Andrea was making bacon and eggs down in the kitchen. She got out of bed even though she didn’t want to and got dressed.

As she walked into the kitchen, Andrea was indeed cooking, and the table was set. Amy sat at the table drinking a cup of coffee.

They exchanged good mornings all around. Jamie was the only guest at the moment, and she was a little uneasy about being alone with Andrea and Amy. She didn’t want to say the wrong thing and make them suspicious.

“Coffee?” Andrea asked, and Jamie nodded. “It’s in the carafe on the table, sit down hun be comfortable.”

Jamie sat down, and Amy looked over at her. Amy asked her if she slept well and Jamie said yes.

The young girl looked at her, she ran her eyes over Jamie and smiled a fake smile.

“So,” Amy said. “How long you been seeing Daryl?”

“Amy.” Andrea barked, “Don’t be so rude.”

“It’s ok Andrea, a short time really,” Jamie said turning to Amy.

The phone rang on the wall, and Amy got up and answered it. Then she cocked her head towards Jamie who was talking to Andrea.

“Your boyfriend is on the phone.” She said to Jamie and held the phone out to her.

Jamie got up and took the phone and placed it to her ear saying hello.

“Call me sweetheart.” He whispered into the phone as if Amy could hear him. She didn’t answer him but nodded her head because she saw Amy giving her the side eye from her place at the table.

“Please Jamie, I need her off my case.” He pleaded.

“Well, sweetheart, what’s in it for me?” She acquiesced with a smile on her lips.

“Anything, just lay it on thick, she doesn't believe it, I know.” He said.

“Oh you are so right, baby, I missed you last night too.” She smiled.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes to take you for a phone, and I’m gonna kiss you in front of her so be ready.” He said quickly.

“Oh, you think?” She laughed into the phone.

“Come on Jamie, help a guy out here.”

She giggled into the phone, playing the part. She was good at playing parts now, wasn’t she? Jamie had a feeling he could protect her too. Not that she wanted to drag this poor man into her shit show, but it might happen.

There was a storm following her; she was sure of it.

For all she knew Greg might be on the way down, she hadn’t talked to Tara in a day. Greg had, of course, pitched a shit fit of epic proportions at the bank. Tara had told her, but no one knew that they were friends.

Tara hadn’t been there, but she heard about it from her boss. He was a dangerous man in more ways than one. He drank, and he beat her, but he was a low-end mob. Even the low guys knew how to hide a body, and that’s why she bolted.

He had told Jamie on more than one occasion he would just kill her and bury her in the Pine Barrens. She could never go back.

“Ok, looking forward to it sweetheart, bye now.” And she hung up before he could say anything.

######################################################

Daryl looked at the phone in his hand, what had just happened? Merle bumped into him as he walked by and Daryl hung up the phone. Still wondering if he had heard her right. He had no idea what awaited him now. It was scary. Why had he told her that? But he knew, Amy had been trying to get on his dick for years, and she was way too young for him. His days of fucking young girls were way over. But Amy wasn’t taking the hint, and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

Showing up with a pretend girlfriend sounded good at the time. He had choked last night and said the first thing to come to mind.

But, he thought to himself, now he was going to get to kiss her. A little grin made its way over his lips, and Merle took notice right away.

“What’s with you?” Merle asked.

“Nothing.” He said trying to pull himself together. “Going out.”

“Alright, you ain't gotta answer to me, I’ll be down at Bob’s later, it's half price wings till four.”

“Might be by, I got some shit to do. And Maggie’s car is back in the shop, might give it a look later.” He said putting on his jacket and walking out the door to his bike.

////////////

Jamie heard the motorcycle pull up and she couldn’t hide her smile. She hadn’t been on a bike in ages, but she knew he did it on purpose. He didn’t want to answer her questions. That was all right with Jamie; she didn’t want to answer his either.

She got up and walked to the door. She looked out the window and there he was kicking the stand on an old Triumph.

Jamie’s father had a Harley when she was young; she grew up on the back of a bike. This might be fun. She watched him walking up the steps, and he was looking at her in a funny way. She opened the door and walked out on the porch. There was a picture window next to the door where Amy and Andrea would see them if they were so inclined.

“Sleep, ok baby?” She said to him giving him a silly grin that only he could see.

Might as well make it good right? She thought to herself.

“Would be better if you were there.” He said as he came to her, with a determined stride and took her in his arms and kissed her.

He sure hoped Amy was watching, then he hoped she wasn’t, because this was something that should have been done in private.

This wasn’t a fake kiss anymore, the minute they touched they both knew it too.

He didn’t just kiss her; he wrapped his arms around her on the porch, and he devoured her mouth like it was his property. Jamie let him, and once she got over the surprise, she kissed him right back.

In for a penny, in for a pound, she thought to herself, and that was the thing about kisses; you never knew whose kiss was going to do it for you.

Jamie didn’t have to fake a damn thing it turned out. The minute his lips touched hers, she wanted more. She allowed him to put his hands on her and hers were on him, and she ran her fingers up over his neck and into his hair.

He felt all the hair stand up on his body and groaned like a bitch, as Merle would say. A woman touching his hair was his weakness, though; it got him every time.

He would groan all he wanted; this felt incredible.

She completely gave herself over to it and when his tongue danced across her lips she yielded completely. He swiped against her tongue with his boldly, taking charge of the whole thing, once, twice, and then it was over. Too soon for both of them

He stepped back from her and stared at her, running his hand through his hair in shock at what had just happened, he hadn't meant to kiss her like that.

#####

Andrea's shoulder bumped Amy in the kitchen. “Those two need to get a room.”

“Yeah, man.” Amy sighed. “It’s fuckin hot in here.”

Jamie stepped back from him, and he looked at her, then he took her by the hand and whispered thank you into her ear. His breath was hot on her neck, and she felt goosebumps break out all over her skin. No one had ever affected her this way, not Greg or any other guy.

“No, thanks, necessary.” She squeaked out as they walked into the house to say goodbye to Andrea and Amy.

/////////////

She rode behind him down the country road as he drove her to their destination. She put her arms around his waist and held on like she used to with her father. It felt different, though, feeling his strong body in her arms made her feel things she hadn’t felt in a long time.

What was happening to her and more important how could she stop it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I don’t know if anyone reading has watched The Soprano’s, but it took place in my beloved New Jersey. One episode had them hiding a body in what we call the Pine Barrens. It's miles and miles of forest from the shoreline and into the middle of the state, perfect for hiding bodies. I happen to live smack in the Pine Barrens, near the beachside. No bodies here that I know of. Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think.


	5. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is two chapters because I have another rough work week going. I'll try and update as often as I can.

They arrived at the strip mall that had the cell phone store, and he parked the bike outside. Jamie got off and immediately started to talk to him, this time Daryl walked over to her with a purposeful stride and kissed her again. He just wanted her to shut up and not ask him any questions. 

Kissing her always seemed to shut her up for at least a little while. He knew she didn't want to be there and just wanted to bolt, but something made him want her to stick around.

There was no one watching this time, but he still put everything he had into it, because why the hell not.

“Stop talking and let’s get you a phone.” He said. “I’m sure there’s someone out there you want to call.”

He led her by the hand into the store, but it occurred to Jamie, that she couldn’t buy a phone. She couldn’t use her name; then there would be a record of where she was. Jamie suddenly started to lose hope, and her shoulders sagged, how was she ever going to escape Greg.

Daryl noticed that because he was observant as he had told her previously, there was so much about her he was trying to figure out.

Greg was smart and had a long reach he would try and find out if she had a cellphone in her name. She was about to stop Daryl but he wasn't having it; he walked right up to the counter.

“Hey, Lori.” He said to the dark haired woman behind the counter. From what Jamie could tell, Daryl knew her, and he actually knew her husband as well.

“Hey, Daryl.” The woman said with a bright smile.

“Lori, this is Jamie, she needs a phone.”

Jamie was about to say something to stop him, but then he added to the sentence.

“Add her to my plan.”

It was like he knew she was on the run and couldn’t use her name, there was no way she was that obvious, how did he know?

“Sure thing, Daryl.” Lori smiled at him. “What kind of phone do you want?”

Jamie looked over at Daryl, she was at a loss for words still, blown away by his kindness to her, he didn't know her at all.

“Lor, can you just show her a few and she can pick?” He said.

Lori nodded and left them at the counter for a minute and Jamie turned to him. “What are you doing?”

“Look, you haven't met my brother yet." Her eyes grew wide at hearing him say yet, as if she was sticking around at all, "I know Lori because her husband has arrested Merle, that’s my brother at least a couple dozen times. He’s clean now but still; you are the sketchiest woman I have ever met, and I know sometimes people just need one good break to change their lives.”

Jamie put her hands on her hips and gave him a look of pure indignation, and he just smiled and shook his head.

“You can deny it all you want; I know you’re on the run, from what I don’t know and I don’t want to know particularly.”

“Then why help me.”

“Someone has to, and you’re a great kisser.” He added the last part almost as a whisper, but she heard it.

“Hmmmm.” She answered and she was smiling as Lori came back with a few phones for her to look at.

“So Daryl, Rick just texted me, and I told him you were here with your girl here. He wants you two to come for dinner tonight.” She said grinning. “Five okay?”

“Lori?” Daryl groaned, now getting a little embarrassed, but also realizing that coming in here with her of course would give people the wrong idea. Not that Andrea probably hadn't called Merle already to report what just happened at her house this morning, cause she for sure did.

“Well, you were kissing her right outside,” Lori said. “And Rick…”

“We’d love to Lori, thank you,” Jamie answered, then she picked up an older iPhone and handed it to Lori. “This one is fine.”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

They walked out the door, and Daryl turned to her as soon as they were out of Lori’s view, he would have to be more careful or his business would be all over town by nightfall. He put his hands on her shoulders softly, and he felt her flinch. Fuck, he had forgotten, someone had beat the shit out of her, very recently too. He knew all too well what that was like and he could have kicked himself for scaring her.

Daryl understood her pain, and that was the reason he felt that Merle used back in the day.

If your parents didn’t love you, well then you didn’t have a whole hell of a lot going for you and he didn’t blame Merle for using. He thought about it a time or two himself, but then the old fuck would have won. Daryl would never pick up drugs to forget; he didn’t want to hear the old man laughing at him from hell, where he surely was right now.

“I’m sorry Jamie, I forgot.”

“It’s OK, I don't know how I know this but, I know you wouldn’t hurt me, it’s a habit, that’s all.” She said. “Someday, maybe I won’t flinch when people touch me.”

‘It gets better.” He nodded, surprised he let that little fact about his life to her. “I was just going to say that you have no idea what you just got yourself and me into.”

“Well, Daryl if you can tell people I’m your girlfriend the least you could do is take me on a date?” She said with a merry laugh that made his heart skip in his chest.

“Rick and Lori are going to call my friends Glenn and Maggie, and this is going to turn into a clusterfuck, you wait.”

“What's wrong with that?” She asked shrugging her shoulders.

“Well, you see it’s a major event around here that I have a girlfriend, even a pretend one.”

They made it back to the bike and stood together, and she decided just to ask him what she wanted to know.

“Why’s that?” She asked, and he shrugged, she would let it go for now, but this conversation wasn’t over. ”OK, can we go somewhere so I can make a phone call.”

He nodded and got on the bike, motioning for her to get behind him.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

He brought her to the garage and let her into the office to make her call. Jamie called Tara using the code they had arranged when she left and threw out her other cell phone so Greg couldn’t ping it to find her. She called, and it went to voicemail, then she pressed two buttons and hung up. 

Tara would know to call her back in ten minutes. Now she would wait for Tara to call back.

She sat herself up on the desk and looked over at Daryl who was sitting on the couch that they kept in the office for customers. Abe and Merle would be coming in soon and would have plenty to say, but he didn’t give a shit.

“So Daryl,” Jamie said, and he looked up at her. “You never told me why you picked me up last night?”

“Can’t I do something nice for a person without there being a reason?”

"Why would you?", She shook her head. “There aren’t any nice people left in the world.”

“That’s why I did it.” He said. “You looked like you didn’t have a soul in the world. Out there on the highway, and I didn’t want some nitwit picking you up and hurting you.”

“I don’t have anyone.” She sighed as that reality hit her.

“What about the person you just called.”

“I won’t ever see her again.” Jamie sighed. “And she was my best friend.”

Then she realized what she just said, and he looked at her, maybe he did need to know what she was running from because apparently, she couldn’t go back.

Then Daryl's eyes traveled down to the backpack she never let out of her sight, and he suddenly had a strange feeling it was stuffed with money.

“Who are you running from?” He said as he sat forward on the couch. “What have you done?”

Chapter Six

She told him, the whole story and in the middle of it Tara had called back, and Jamie talked to her freely now because Daryl knew what she had done now.

She was afraid he would judge her but he just sat there, unmoving with no judgement at all. What were the odds an abused woman who fought back and turned the tables on her abuser would get dumped in his lap?

Karma was going to play a good game with him; he just had a feeling about it. Still, he wasn’t one to back away from someone who needed help, and she surely did.

His mother would say he was just picking up another stray. His mother would be right too. His mother was always right; she said one day he’d meet a woman that went right through him.

Someone he wouldn’t be able to stay away from, no matter what happened.

“So, I’ll get out of your hair now, just tell your friends we broke up.” Jamie started to say.

He was out of his seat before she could hop down off the desk and in front of her. His eyes showed everything; he didn’t want her to leave, and he knew everything. She was entirely overcome with the thought that he still wanted her to stay.

“You still need a friend and I….”

"Are you for real?" She murmured. 

This time Jamie grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulled him close to her and kissed him first. It was the longest kiss between them by far, and he didn’t stop this time, he grabbed her around the knees and pulled her towards him until she was right up against him.

That was much better, he couldn’t get close enough to her and that was a new feeling to him. Daryl had never wanted to kiss anyone as much as he wanted to kiss her, he never wanted someone's body close to him the way he wanted this.

Jamie slid her legs around his waist, and he realized, she wasn’t a fake girlfriend anymore.  
Their lips slid against each other, and he pushed his tongue into her mouth like they had been doing it for years and she kissed him back with equal abandon. Soon they were going to be tearing each other's clothes off.

Her hands weaved under his jacket, and he groaned out loud at the feel of her fingers on his back, still not breaking the kiss until a whistle from the doorway broke the spell.

There stood his Uncle Abe and brother Merle. “Oh ho, get it, brother.”

And that was it; an incredible moment, maybe the most incredible of his life, cockblocked by Merle.

Daryl’s face turned crimson from his neck to his ears, and Merle just cackled. He set his forehead against Jamie’s for a minute, took a deep breath and then turned to face them.

“Thought you were here early to get a jump on Christine, good to see you getting a jump on something else for a change,” Merle said as he sauntered into the office. “And who might you be gorgeous?”

She was gorgeous too Merle observed, that wavy red hair was the kind a man would love to have his fingers in, and she had a hot body on her too. Merle was ten years older than Daryl, and this girl was around Daryl’s age; Merle wished he had seen her first

“I’m Jamie.” She said as Merle approached her and took her hand like the rascal he was while his eyes looked over at Daryl; then Merle took her hand to his lips and kissing it.” Pleased to meet you.”

“Pleasure is all mine darlin.” Merle said as he watched his brother, who was watching him with malice in his eyes.

'Hmm,' Merle thought to himself. This was an unusual situation, his brother who was practically undatable in this town was in here macking on some woman he never saw before in his life. And that very same brother was now giving him the evil eye like Merle took his ice cream cone or something.

Fascinating indeed, Merle thought as he turned back to Daryl.

“So you going to work today Daryl or what?” Merle said turning to him.

“Glenn called,” Abe said. “Maggie isn’t too worried she’s going to use the jeep for a while.”

“I’ll still try and find out what’s up with the Jag,” Daryl said. “Just to get it out of the bay.”  
Jamie hopped off the desk.

“You sure brother, I can see you have better things to do,” Merle said.

“Promised Glenn.” He didn’t add that he would likely be seeing Glenn that night and didn’t want to get any more nonsense then he already was getting tonight. For sure Lori had gotten on the phone with Maggie already and he was in for it later.

He hadn’t dated in a good long time, all of his friends were either married or in relationships. He had not been kidding when he told Jamie it was the news of the century.

The problem was, he hadn’t met anyone that turned him inside out, and now he had. It was just a small thing really that she tried to kill her mobster husband and stole half a million dollars from him.

No big deal.

“I need to go shopping anyway, I’ll walk down to that group of stores we passed,” Jamie said. “I need some things.”

“Need a ride,” Abe said, and she shook her head.

“I’ll be back with lunch for you guys, what do you all want?” She asked, and Merle smiled, his brother had finally found a keeper.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rick turned on the stereo to the alternative station they all used to listen to in high school and ‘Glycerine’ by Bush came on. He and Lori worked together in the kitchen getting things ready for the dinner party they were throwing together. They had been married for twelve years and were happy together the way high school sweet hearts were.

“Who do you think she is?” Lori asked, and Rick shrugged his shoulders.

“I just saw him on Wednesday, and he didn’t say a thing about any girlfriend.”

“Well I saw with my own eyes, he kissed her right in front of the store, and in all the time he dated, what was her name?” Lori asked handing him a bowl full of lettuce,"The waitress?"

“Lisa,” Rick replied as he chopped the onions so Lori’s eyes wouldn’t tear up. He was the onion chopper, for as long as they had been married.

“Right, Lisa, he never kissed her in public, I don’t even think he held her hand in front of us,” Lori said as their two children Carl, and Judith ran into the room.

“Uncle Daryl just pulled up on the bike Mom, and he has a girl with him.” Judith said breathlessly, she was seven going on thirty and right now and totally aware that they had never seen him with a girl before.

Carl made a face because at ten years old he didn’t like girls, barely tolerated his sister, and was grossed out to see his uncle with a girl.

The doorbell rang, and Judith took off to answer the door so very curious about who this girl was. The music was playing, and Gavin Rossdale’s voice echoed through the house.

Glycerine  
I'm never alone  
I'm alone all the time  
Are you at one  
Or do you lie  
We live in a wheel  
Where everyone steals  
But when we rise it's like strawberry fields  
If I treated you bad  
You bruise my face  
Couldn't love you more  
You got a beautiful taste  
Don't let the days go by  
Glycerine

Judith swung the door open, and her eyes brightened to see Daryl standing there. She immediately launched herself into his arms and hugged him. Jamie let out a laugh and when he put Judith down she turned to Jamie. The little girl's light brown hair was in pigtails and ribbons, she was adorable, and when she moved her head, they bounced around her head.

She looked up at Jamie, with her little eyes so bright, “What’s your name? My mommy says you’re Uncle Daryl’s new…..”

“Judith.” Lori’s voice called out to her as Lori and Rick came walking out of the kitchen followed by Carl.

“Hi Jamie, it’s nice to see you again, this is my husband, Rick.”

Jamie reached out and shook Rick’s hand. “I see you met Judith already.” He said. “This is Carl.”

Jamie nodded and smiled down at the little girl and boy in front of her. They were so cute, and both favored Lori in hair color and features, but both tall like their father, though.

“Come in, Glenn and Maggie are on their way.” Lori said, and Daryl nudged Jamie as if to say ‘Told ya, ’ and she smiled at him.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Maggie and Glenn arrived with two bottles of wine, and they all promptly sat down out on the deck in their backyard. It was beautiful and quiet out there, and the kids were playing outside. Rick and Daryl stood at the grill talking as the women spoke to Jamie.

Glenn was leaning on the railing next to Daryl and Rick, and the music was playing from in the house just loud enough to make this a party.

“So, you Bobby Shatford now?” Rick asked. “Capt. I got a woman I can’t stand to be two feet away from, that how it is? Cause I don’t know about you.”

Rick quoted the movie he and Daryl must have watched two hundred times together, "A Perfect Storm", which was their favorite. It didn’t help that they both loved to fish in the lake a few miles down the road and quoted the movie all day long when they went.

“I know what you always meant now.” He said looking over towards the girls who were sitting on the wicker furniture. “When you met Lori.”

“Oh bullshit Daryl,” Glenn said. “It’s like she appeared out of thin air or something, I talked to you yesterday when you towed Christine. You did not mention any girlfriend.”

“Met her yesterday.”

Glenn rolled his eyes. “Oh, that explains everything.”

“Yesterday?” Rick said.

Daryl nodded. “Last night actually.”

“So you don’t even know her?” Glenn said. “You wouldn’t go out on a date with Maggie’s friend from work, but you’re dating a stranger?”

“Glenn,” Daryl said taking a sip of his beer and tilting the bottle towards Jamie. “Look at her.”

Rick started laughing silently with his shoulders hunching as he flipped the hamburgers, the guy had a point for sure. This was going to be such an interesting dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The Perfect Storm is my husband’s favorite movie. When we were dating (the second time), he said that line to me and I started to cry. It was the sweetest thing I ever heard. I put it in my stories a lot because it makes my heart skip every time I think about it.
> 
> "Capt, I got a girl I can't stand to be more than five feet away from all the time."


	6. seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long, I'll post two chapters :) to make amends xxxxx

Seven

Jamie fit in with all of Daryl’s friends and they all shared a great dinner together outside on the Grimes’ back deck. Carl and Judith were adorable kids, and they made Jamie wish that she was younger, just a little bit. It was too late now; she had cervical cancer when she was thirty-five and had a radical hysterectomy. But if she could go back in time, she would have had a child before then. If she had known that one day, it would be too late. It would have been different.

If she could go back in time, well, she wouldn’t have married Greg.

A lifetime of regrets. There would be no children for her.

Greg reminded her of that every chance he got. She was a cancer survivor, a walking miracle and he called her barren Sharon. She had to undergo both chemotherapy and radiation treatments after the hysterectomy, and all he could think about was that she couldn’t give him children.

He was a dick, and she was surprised she didn’t clock him in the head way before now.

But she loved children and was so happy to watch Carl and Judith playing. They were really good kids, and they loved Daryl, Maggie, and Glenn, that was very evident.

Lori and Rick had done well with them both.

It was nice to relax, she had been on the run and forgot how nice it is to be with people. This was a fun night and she was glad that she got into his truck last night.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After they ate dinner she and Maggie helped Lori do the dishes. The made small talk until Maggie decided to start asking a few questions. Lori had been thinking to herself and wondering about her too. Jamie seemed nice enough, but Daryl was their friend.

He just showed up with this stranger out of the blue, and they wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to get hurt.

They wondered what Merle thought about all of this too.

“So Jamie.” Maggie started the conversation that Lori also wanted to start. “How did you meet Daryl?”

Jamie considered her options, tell the truth and risk all the questions or lie and risk getting caught. It was too big of a risk; she was starting to like him.

She took a deep breath, squared off her shoulders like the badass she was and turned to Lori.

“He picked me up hitchhiking last night.” She said, and both Maggie and Lori’s mouths dropped open. “I ran away from my ex-husband.”

“Oh,” Lori said, and she looked over at Maggie because she felt like she put her foot in her mouth now with her question. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

Much, Jamie thought to herself.

“Oh, its ok. I mean I didn’t kill him or anything.” She smiled and threw her head back in laughter and then both Lori and Maggie started laughing with her.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The three men sat out on the deck while the women were inside and they heard them break out in laughter. Rick raised his eyebrow at Daryl and Daryl shrugged. He had no clue what they could be laughing at right now but they were really going at it.

Must have been a good joke.

“Don’t look at me; I ain't got a clue,” Daryl said.

“So what’s the deal with you and her?” Glenn asked.

“Nothing,” Daryl said, almost blurting out yet after that. But he wasn’t sure; they had kissed, and it had been fucking hot. He wanted more, but he didn’t know what she wanted.

For all he knew she was still a fake girlfriend. He was going to have to find out.

“Yeah, I’m sure Daryl,” Glenn said. “You keep telling yourself that.”

“What.” He asked.

“I can just tell,” Glenn said taking a sip of his beer. “Back me up Rick.”

“Well.” He started but then the sliding door opened, and the girls were coming out.

Saved by the bell. Sometimes life was sweet. Sometimes you were just minding your own business, towing an unruly car down the street and an angel walked into your path. And sometimes, you got saved by embarrassing questions by that same angel.

“Hey, Daryl,” Maggie said. “Jamie tells me you picked her up hitchhiking.”

He looked over at her like a deer caught in the headlights and she just shrugged. Well, he supposed this was how it was now.

He hadn’t expected that.

This one was going to keep him on his toes, that was for sure.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Jamie had just gotten done using the bathroom and was washing her hands when there was a knock on the door. She murmured ‘Just a minute’ and from the other side of the door she heard Daryl saying ‘Can I come in, you decent’. She shook her head wondering what the hell he was doing.

She opened the bathroom door, and he was standing there with one hand up on the door jamb. He smiled at her and said ‘Hi.’

Then he walked in and shut the door, locking it behind him.

“Hey, your friends are out there.” She said as he backed her up against the sink bringing his hands to her hips.

He pressed against her and then took her face in his hands.

“What are you…” He cut her off by kissing her much like he had done it that afternoon. She was annoyed and then absolutely distracted, especially when he caught her bottom lip between his teeth briefly and then leaned his forehead against hers.

“I just wanted a kiss.” He said smiling at her.

Then he kissed her again, and it was just as distracting. He was a good kisser, which made her laugh because all of his friends had this other idea about him.

Lori and Maggie went on and on about how he didn’t date much while they were talking in the kitchen. They interrogated her somewhat, but she fielded their questions and didn’t give too much away.

Still, they had no clue about what she was thinking was the real him. The real him barged into the bathroom to assault her mouth while everyone was outside waiting to play cards.

“That’s two.” She said laughing.

And then he went in for the kill and kissed her until her knees were weak and she was trembling.

“Come home with me tonight?” He said after he was done with her, she just nodded her head as if she were hypnotized.

Her lips were tingling and swollen, and her stomach was lurching inside of her. He stepped back to give her a little air.

“You don’t give a girl a choice kissing like that.” She whispered.

He shook his head “You always have a choice.”

“You don’t know me very well.” She said quietly.

“I know I want you in my bed tonight, and that’s all I need to know at the moment.” He said grinning at her.

She laughed. “Your friends think you are some bumbling fool when it comes to women.” She said as he went in for another kiss.

“I know.” He said winking at her. “Jokes on them.”

Eight

Daryl did as she asked and brought the chair into his bedroom. He had wondered if she was serious and now, he knew she was. She was as mysterious as a fantasy come true, surprising him at every turn in this relationship. If that was what it was, it was complicated, so complicated, but not right now. They weren’t thinking about that now. They were of one thought at this moment, together.

They were on the same page about a lot of things, it turned out.

They had only met just 24 hours earlier, and now they were at his house together, a personal best for him. He had never had a one-night stand or anything like that before. But, he also never got a woman back to his house in less than 24 hours either.

Daryl was more of a serial dater, he got involved in short term relationships, but nothing ever stuck. He thought it was him, until tonight. It seemed like he had met his match now.

Of course, she was married; that was how his shit went. Fifteen single girls since he was old enough to date, and he had no interest in any of them, and the one who held his attention wasn’t available.

He was still going to fuck her, though; he wasn’t stupid. She wanted what he wanted, the same thing. That was irresistible; that was a first.

He might have to marry her. After she was no longer married, that is.

On the way home they stopped to buy condoms and talked about what was going to happen next. Clearly, it was understood they were going to his house for sex. They decided that in Rick’s bathroom hours ago. Then they sat through two hours of Canasta opposite each other at the table which was torture.

The right kind.

She was good at it too, running her foot up his leg and right into his lap under the table.

He never knew what exactly was going to come out of her mouth next and that kept him on the edge of his seat all the time.

Jamie just came out with whatever was on her mind, not like other girls he knew before, who watched every word and kissed everyone’s ass.

She had turned to him in the pharmacy parking lot as they sat in the truck and said she liked how aggressive he was in the bathroom. He had been a little embarrassed about that, but she said she loved it.

Jamie said he left her weak in the knees and she didn’t mind telling him. She told him about her job in New York and how she had been the manager. She was always in charge and giving orders to everyone.  
She didn’t want to be the one giving orders in the bedroom. It turned out he was a little bossy, and she had picked up on that in the bathroom earlier at Rick’s.

They talked about exactly what she meant and about this being a first for both of them. They were just going to do and say what felt right and have fun.

They were going to play a game. But if either of them wanted to stop, all they had to do was say so. Then it would all stop.

They joked that they got all of the paperwork done first and now once they got to his house they could really have some fun.

He didn’t even know if she was staying past the next day, but somehow they both wanted this anyway. And it was on, for as long as it lasted.

So now he was sitting down in the chair from the kitchen in front of his bed, and she sat opposite him at the foot of the bed.

“Close your eyes.” He said to her. “And don’t open them or I’ll blindfold you.” He said as he started unbuttoning his shirt and taking it off.

She closed her eyes and nodded, and already her heart was racing out of her chest. She could hear him stand up and unbuckled his belt and pull it off; she heard it clank onto the floor. She jumped a little at the sound, and now she could sense him in front of her.

He stood right before her, and she could smell him. He smelled delicious, and she wanted to lick his stomach, but that wasn’t the game.

Then his hands were on her head and running through her hair he massaged her scalp, and she almost groaned out loud.

“Keep them closed.” He warned as his hands moved down over her face until his fingers were at her lips. He rubbed two fingers over her lips until they parted and then slid one into her mouth. “You sure you wanna play this game?”

She nodded as he pulled his finger out of her mouth and leaned down to kiss her.

“I asked you remember?” She said, but she kept her eyes closed.

He took her face in his hands again and kissed her deep and slow. Then he sat back on the chair.  
“Now open your eyes and look at me.”

She opened her eyes and his gaze on her was full of fire.

“Take off your shirt.” He said, and she pulled it over her head not breaking the gaze between them.

She dropped her shirt on the floor not taking her eyes away from him. He noticed she squirmed on the bed a little, trying to create friction.

“You want those pants off too Jamie?” He asked as he was unzipping his pants to get relief because his dick was making a tent in his boxers and throbbing already.

“Yes.” She said.

“Then take them off.” He answered.

Jamie stood up and complied with his instruction, taking off her shoes and sliding her jeans down. Then she took one foot out of them and kicked them over at his feet with the other foot.

Then she lit up his entire world with the most wicked smile.

“Feisty?” He said, quirking an eyebrow at her and she nodded. “Back on the bed then.”

She sat back down, and he motioned his hand that she should scoot back. He still sat in the chair, but he was getting the feeling he wouldn’t be much longer.

She scooted back a little and put her hands behind her to sit back. She was in her bra and underwear still waiting for his next instruction.

Meanwhile, her heart was leaping in her chest from it, and he breathing was getting ragged already. He wasn’t doing much better, but he wasn’t stopping now.

“Take it off.” He said.

“All of it?” She asked still not moving her eyes from his, and he nodded.

She brought her fingers up to the front clasp of her bra and unhooked it and watched his reaction. He pulled in a deep breath at the sight of her, and he could not wait to touch her.

But not yet.

Then she slid her underwear down over her legs and kicked them onto the floor.

“That’s good sweetheart.” He smiled at her. “Now tell me how you feel, tell me everything.”

She sat back on the bed on her elbows again she could see how he was feeling and she watched him adjust himself, trying to take some of the pressure off.

“I’m so turned on I can’t stand it, and you just touched yourself …” She breathed out. “That was so hot.”

“Spread your legs.” He whispered and swallowed hard when she complied, and he could see her. She was still sitting up, but he wanted a better view.

He watched her breathing and her chest rising and falling rapidly.

“You ok?” He asked her.

“I’m great.” She laughed out. “You?”

He nodded, never taking his eyes from hers. “I’ll keep asking, cause I’m a gentleman.”

She just smiled at him, feeling the heat from his stare on her skin now. She had goosebumps.

“Now touch yourself the way you like.” He said all business again.” And you can lay down if you want to.”  
Daryl watched as she ran her hands over her breasts in front of him first and then laid down, putting her feet up onto the bed.

Now she couldn’t see him, but she heard him moving the chair closer. She continued running her hands over her breasts even though he couldn’t see so well from the angle she was at.

She had a feeling he wanted to see something else, so she reached her hand down between her legs and heard him hiss out a groan. She let her knees come apart, and she knew he had a front row seat now and an excellent view of the action.

“Oh god damn Jamie.” He blurted out as he watched her fingers. He could see how wet she was already and they hadn’t done anything yet. He just ordered her around a little bit. She got off on it; that much was clear, and so did he.

He watched her hand memorized by it. He hadn’t been up close and personal with someone ever before in this way.

He watched as she expertly moved her hands over herself and he could hear her breathing speeding up. Of course, she knew what she was doing. People liked to lie about it all the time, but no one knew their way around your body better than you.

Just like he knew just how to touch his dick the right way so that it felt good, without blowing his load all over the place. People masturbated, that was a fact, and she was letting him watch. Fucking hot.

“Don’t stop sweetheart, not till I tell you to.”

“I won’t.” She gasped out as she felt herself starting to tingle everywhere and it had happened so fast. She felt his eyes on her; this was never something for someone else’s eyes before. And she hadn’t lied. She was more turned on than she had ever been in her life.

She moved her hips around on the bed and Daryl watched her intently, the way her fingers slid across her skin. His dick was throbbing, and he was sweating from watching her. She was beautiful to him.

“Stop.” He said just as she was about to make herself come and she did, letting out a sigh of frustration and almost calling him an asshole.

She was almost there, and he stopped her, goddamn him.

Then he was on his knees with his face between her legs and she almost levitated off the bed when he licked her nice and slow with the flat of his tongue.

He smiled when he heard the sound she made, a growl deep in her chest as if he was turning her into an animal.  
“Better.” He said, but he didn’t wait for her to answer he just kept on going. She tasted like sweet peaches on a hot summer’s day, and he couldn’t get enough of her. He was totally lost in the effort to please her now, and he didn’t hold anything back.

He slid his hands up to rest on her belly and held her in place while he assaulted her pussy like it was his day job. She reached down and grabbed on to his hair to keep him in place.

“Jesus Christ Daryl, how do you not have a girlfriend?” She panted out as she pulled him closer letting her legs fall wide open now.

He ran his tongue over her until she was screaming his name and pulling him up to her face and giving him the hardest and dirtiest kiss he had ever had.

Her hands were climbing down his chest and over his stomach causing him to tremble, and she reached his jeans struggling to get them down.

He reached into his back pocket before she got his pants off and pulled out the condom he had shoved in there.

“Here.” He handed it to her.” You do it.”

He stood up and shucked his pants off entirely and came back down on the bed with her.

“Touch me first.” He whispered, and she was happy to comply, taking his dick in her hand and ripping the condom wrapper with her teeth, making sure he saw her do it.

She ran her hand over his dick and it was not a disappointment, surely she would have difficulty walking in the morning.

‘Good.' She thought to herself as she slid the condom over him and he let out a growl. He was on top of her in seconds.

He couldn’t wait another second to have her completely, but he still wanted the game.

“You want it, Jamie.” He sighed out against her ear, knowing he wouldn’t be able to play it much longer because he had to have her.

“Yes.” She answered, grinding herself against his leg that was between hers.

“How bad.” He pushed against her and rose up on his knees pulling her legs apart, shaking his hair out of his face.

“I want it.” She breathed out.

“What do you want.” He pulled her legs up so that he was right against her, teasing her mercilessly, rubbing himself along her entrance.

She was gripping the sheets on the bed, and her head was rolling back and forth, but she settled her eyes on him.

“I want your dick inside me as far as possible.” He pulled her closer, and she blurted out. “Give it to me.”  
He hoisted her legs under his arms and pushed inside her letting out a gasp along with her.

“Oh fuck me.” He cried out and his head was swimming from how good this felt. “Take it, Jamie. Take it.”  
Daryl released her legs and ground his hips into her in a steady rhythm that was going to drive them both over the edge.

“Take my dick.” He leaned down and kissed her pulling her hands up over her head and holding them there against the pillows.

“Give it to me.” She bucked her hips against his, and he still held her hands down. “Give it to me.”  
He felt her starting to contract around him, and she was screaming his name out.

“Yes, fuck, come on me.” His words were coming out in ragged breaths now. “Come on me.”

She wrapped her legs around his waist and arched her back off the bed as everything went white behind her eyes. He still had her arms held over her head as she threw her head back, her legs shaking around him, his name on her lips.

He was close, right there moving faster and faster as her body squeezed it out of him.

“Oh God.” She puffed out still coming down from the best orgasm of her life as he collapsed on top of her in a heap spewing out a string of curses.

“You think?” He said wrapping his arm around her and kissing the side of her face. “I sure hope you’re planning on sticking around a while Jamie.”

She nodded and looked over at the backpack full of money. She hadn’t wanted to involve him in her shit storm, but he just walked right into it and set up shop like it was nothing.

She felt it unwise to leave the best lay of her life too soon.


	7. NINE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Someone recently asked if I was going to update this. I will finish every story I started. Thank you to the person who asked, and I love you all xx xxx xx

Jamie woke up first the next morning on her stomach with Daryl right next to her and half on top of her. The weight of him felt so good and forbidden in the best of ways. She hadn’t woken up with a man wrapped around her in such a long time. She paused to savor it because it was going to be the last time.  
His face was sideways into the pillow, and he was out like a light. The sun was shining, so she knew they had slept longer than they had intended to. Not that either of them had anywhere at all to go, but still it was a surprise.

They had stayed up later than they intended to also and also a surprise, a wonderful one. They had made love twice the night before, and she could feel her breath hitch and her heartbeat race just thinking about it.

The clock on the bedside table said eleven am, and she couldn’t remember sleeping that late in years.

She looked out the window at the woods behind the house and sighed. This had just gotten ten times more complicated. She reached for her phone next to the clock and checked it for messages and calls. There hadn’t been any. That was a good thing, but somehow she knew there would be some eventually and soon.

Jamie knew it was all going to come crashing down on her, and she should just hop on a plane to some other country and be done with it.

She looked over at him, still sleeping, the two demon tattoos on his back, beautiful and absurd all at the same time. They talked long into the night, and he had told her all about his father. He had been abused by someone who was supposed to love him, just like she was. They both carried scars, both on the outside and also on the inside.

All the more reason the end it now.

They connected with each other on every level, and that’s how she knew she couldn’t stay. Daryl was a good man, too good for her to involve him in this mess she had created. She had also involved Andrea and Amy by staying at their Bed and Breakfast, all of Daryl’s friends, and his brother and uncle and it had to stop.

The list was endless, and she had only been there for two days.

It was just getting more and more complicated the longer she stayed, she extricated herself from underneath him and reached for her shirt on the floor. Throwing her feet off of the bed she sat up and slipped her shirt back on; the backpack was against the wall, and as she studied it, she thought she should just go.

She would regret not saying goodbye to him, and he would be angry and hurt, but he would get over it.  
This was fun, but she was dangerous to him. He said he didn’t care and that he wanted her to stay, but in the light of day, that seemed so careless.

She would only make his life worse if she stayed and God forbid if Greg were coming to look for her. Who was she kidding, he was looking, he and his minions? She was about to reach for the backpack and dip out on Daryl real quick when his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

“Don’t even think about it.” He mumbled from the bed; his face still shoved into the pillow. He didn’t turn, and he didn’t let go of her wrist. “You aren’t going anywhere.”

“Daryl, I…”

“Just forget it, I’m never letting you go.” He said, finally rolling over to face her. He pulled her back into the bed with him and wrapped his arms around her. “Not after last night.”

He rolled her under him and pushed her legs apart with his hips. He kissed down her neck until she stopped protesting and then she was giggling.

“I’m going to make your life complicated and hard Daryl, you don’t understand.’”

“Yeah.” He grinned. “It’s hard.” He said wiggling his eyebrows. How could she leave him, he was one of a kind?

Jamie had never been with a man like him; he was so refreshing and so real. “That’s not what I meant.” She laughed. “I’ll make your life hard. It’s going to be a shitshow.”

“Well.” He smiled at her. “I’m not so worried about that right now, all I want right now is to make love to you again.”

“We have to come up for air sometimes though and face this situation,” Jamie said.

“Yeah.” He said rolling them over so that she was on top of him. “We will, later.”

“Ok.” She smiled down at him. “Then we have to talk if you want me to stay.”

“Deal.”

He rolled her back under him and kissed down her neck, remembering what his mother had said so long ago, one day he would meet the woman who would go through him and it would hit him when he least expected it.

It had hit him alright, and it was like a ton of bricks. This was not just sex for him, and he hoped it was more for her. He could love her; he knew it yesterday before they came back to the house. He didn’t want to think about it then, but now it was all he could think about.

He could love her forever.

Daryl kissed down her neck and over her collarbone and she reached for him. Jamie was married to a man who knew jack shit about how to please a woman; she had never been with someone like Daryl. His hands and lips were all over her, and he made her feel things she had never felt before.

She let out a sigh as he traveled down her body with his wicked tongue. This man would be the death of her; she was sure of that.

Daryl stopped at her stomach and looked up at her, with his hair falling over her face.

“Spread your legs for me, sweetheart.” He said with a rasp to his voice. “I’m gonna make you cum so good.”

“The dirty talk is killing me, Daryl; you’re like a dream come true.” She gasped out as she felt his hands on her inner thighs, spreading her wide.

And this was the greatest thing about being with a woman his age. They were both old enough to know what they wanted and not afraid to say it or take it.

“That’s what I’m here for darlin.” He said burying his face between her legs when she wasn’t expecting it, and she let out a squeak.

“Your brother.” Jamie hissed.

“Is probably still sleeping off his wings and beer from last night.” He replied moving his hands down over her and spreading her wider still. “Don’t worry about him.”

Jamie relaxed into the bed and ran her hands through his hair. One step at a time, one moment at a time and she wanted this.

It was hard to stay in the moment in the light of the day, but she was trying. There was no way she could resist him. He slid his tongue over her and added his fingers until she was sweating and panting as if she had run a marathon.

Three times he brought her to the edge of the cliff and stopped until she was writhing and begging him to stop. Finally, he brought his face up to hers and kissed her.

“Had enough?” He whispered in her ear, and she could feel his breath on her skin, and she felt the goosebumps rise again. Her body was on fire now and aching for release; her breath ragged, and her heart was beating out of her chest.

“Yes, damn you.” She breathed out pushing herself against his hand. He slammed his lips against hers, and he brought his fingers against her the way she wanted until she was screaming out his name.

“I want you to ride me.” He moaned in her ear as he rolled them over and lifted her onto his lap. Jamie slid down on his dick as he grabbed her hips to hold her in place. “Wait, sweetheart, slow.”

He moved her hips with his hands slow and easy, feeling her all around him, so wet and warm. It had been a long time since he had been with anyone and he wanted to enjoy her. He wanted to enjoy her for a long time, and every time.  
“Nice and slow baby.” He said, closing his eyes and moving his hands along her sides. “That’s it, ride me good.” He moaned. “So good.”

Jamie leaned down and kissed him hard, pulling her lips away from his and leaving him wanting more. She moved her hips against his, and she never went faster not even when he came screaming a string of curses that made her blush from head to toe.

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	8. TEN

Jamie walked out of the bedroom, and she knew right away Merle was in the kitchen. She could hear him clanking around dishes, and she wished Daryl wasn’t in the bathroom. She stood in the doorway of Daryl’s room contemplating and she was about to go back in Daryl’s room when she heard Merle call out to her.

“Don’t be a shy mouse, come get some coffee.” Jamie blanched at the thought that he may have heard them, but she continued towards the kitchen. She stood in the doorway, wishing Daryl would get out of the bathroom, but knowing Merle was not someone to fear. In fact; she saw him as a big teddy bear of a man and a softie. Still, she knew they were louder than they thought, but they couldn’t help it. She had never been so into a man before or been with one that was so into her.

It felt good and right.

“Good morning Merle.”

“Morning.” He grinned at her and she just knew he had heard them. “You’re some firecracker ain't ya; my brother stepped in shit didn’t he?”

Jamie didn’t say anything, and Daryl was out of the bathroom and coming up behind her as she struggled with what to say. He was not one to mince words at all, he spoke plainly, but truthfully, so unlike Greg or any of his asshole friends from New York.

They were all liars and crooks, and it made her happy to know that there were real men out there. Good men.

Greg had no sense of humor at all and Jamie loved to laugh, she felt like she was the one who stepped in shit when Daryl pulled over to pick her up just two days ago. He talked to her as an equal, and he made her laugh more in two days than she had in the last year. She felt like she was the lucky one.

“Very funny Merle,” Daryl said coming into the kitchen and getting two cups of coffee for himself and Jamie. “Leave her alone.”

“Oh,” Jamie said. “He wasn’t…”

“He’s teasing you, and I don’t like it,” Daryl said sitting down at the table. “Come on Jamie, sit.”

Daryl poured cream into her coffee and added sugar.

“You look like a cream and sugar girl.” He smiled up at her.

“Just so happens I am.” She said accepting the coffee from him and taking a sip. The coffee even tasted better this morning; everything was bright and new, and for the first time in a long time she didn’t dread the day.

“Sit, I’ll make breakfast as soon as I get some coffee in me.”

“He’s a bossy motherfucker isn’t he.” Merle cackled as she sat down, and now she knew for sure he had heard them.

Jamie sipped her coffee. “Yes, he is.” She said making eye contact with Merle, and he smiled back. Jamie couldn’t resist grinning right back at him. He was like an older version of Daryl, a little rougher around the edges, but a good man. He made her laugh too, and she hoped some lucky woman was with him because he was just as wonderful to her as Daryl was.

“You sticking around cookie?” Merle asked. “Cause I’ll be needing my other kitchen chair back and some earplugs if that’s going to be the case.”

Daryl shot him a fierce look, but Jamie took it in stride. “I’ll bring you some later Merle, but we need the chair. We aren’t done with it yet.”

Merle broke into a wide grin. “Hang onto her brother; she’s a pistol.”

“Seriously, though, I am sorry if we disturbed you this morning.” She said.

“Oh no worries Sis, I heard Y'all last night too,” Merle said sipping his coffee. Jamie considered him, thinking of how to handle this situation. Merle was a man that liked to keep you off guard, but not in a mean way; she knew that. He just loved to rile people up, and again Jamie was happily surprised by a Dixon man.

Merle had a sense of humor, and to her, it was a breath of fresh air.

“It won’t be the last time,” Jamie said.

“Didn’t imagine it would be,” Merle replied. “I hear you’re staying over at my girl Andrea’s.”

“She ain't your girl,” Daryl mumbled from his coffee cup.

“She’s a’ight, we have kinda what you call friends with benefits thing.” He said, with a wink to Jamie. “She told me you were very quiet and kept to yourself. She thinks you’re running from the law.”

“Not the law,” Jamie said quietly.

“Well.” Merle leaned back. “Aint that something; you remember what Mamma always said.”

Daryl looked horrified about what he was going to say, but that didn’t stop him. It was true; he had a love of animals and the downtrodden. He always had, and this was an example of the kind of thing Daryl would do.

“This one brought home every stray dog in sight, every cat, every critter you could think of, that cat in the living room? That was him too.” Merle said. “Mamma always called him the soft touch.”

“And now me.” Jamie sighed.

Jamie’s phone started ringing in Daryl’s room, so he went and got it for her.

“I’m just teasing you Sis; you know that right?”

Jamie nodded as Daryl returned with her phone. She took it and listened to the message from Tara. Daryl could tell by her face it wasn’t good.

“Well?” Daryl said.

“It was Tara; she said my ex was at the bank bitching out the president and saying he had a private investigator looking for me. She said he thinks I went south.”

“Wonderful,” Daryl muttered, and Merle eyed him from across the table.

“You two wanna let me in on the secret?” Merle asked.

Jamie and Daryl looked at each other, and she nodded her head. She trusted them both, and that was a first. Tara had been the only person she had trusted for so long. She felt safe, and she had almost forgotten what that felt like.

“Jamies on the run from her ex that she’s kinda still married to, she clocked him on the head with a Lily Brenner sculpture, in their New York penthouse after he hit her, and not the first time.” Merle nodded his head as Daryl spoke and they could both tell he was getting pissed off.

Hitting woman was the lowest of the low in Merle’s book, and he could not abide that someone had done this to her. He could already tell that she was a sweet woman and Daryl liked her a lot, that was plain to see.

“Brother, you know how I feel about this. How can I help you darlin.” He said to them and his eyes were soft and caring, a rare thing for the usually gruff man.

“There’s more,” Jamie said.

“Of course there is.” Merle laughed slightly.

“I stole some money from him, and he’s low-key mob.”

“How much money?”

“A lot.”

Daryl looked over at her and nodded.

Jamie swallowed and spoke softly. “Half a million dollars.”

Merle rubbed his hands together. “Well, got to give it to you brother, this is the best situation you ever got us into.”

Daryl just rolled his eyes at Merle and Jamie took a deep breath.

“I can leave Merle, keep moving, maybe he’ll give up.”

“You’ll do no such thing, I’m calling Andrea, and we’re going to get your stuff, you’re moving in with us.”

2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222

Andrea walked up behind Jamie while Merle and Daryl collected her meager belongings, some clothes, and toiletries that she had bought. She had been right about Jamie; she had a secret, and she was pretty sure it was more than an angry husband.

Merle and Daryl would keep her safe if that was what she needed, whatever or whoever was after her, they wouldn’t let get near her.

Jamie pulled her sweater over her shoulders as the breeze blew through the trees behind them. It would be fall soon, and she always loved that time of year. She had a smile on her face for the first time in a long time; she looked forward to a new day instead of looking at it with dread.

“You’ll be safe with them; Merle didn’t want anyone bothering Amy and I,” Andrea said.

“I didn’t want that either; I didn’t think…”

“I knew you weren’t going to back to wherever you came from after that kiss yesterday,” Andrea replied.  
Was it only just yesterday?

“I’ve known him a long time, and I haven’t ever seen him put on such PDA, hell he dated my best friend a few years ago, and I never saw him kiss her, not once.”

Jamie looked over at the other woman.

“Don’t you dare hurt him, you’ll answer to me,” Andrea murmured. “You understand me?”

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Eugene Porter was a smart man, and he knew someone broke the rules at the bank. There was no other reason that he could think of that Jamie could have gotten into the safety deposit box. His client said she was not a signer on the box and that he didn’t know that she even knew about it. Eugene didn’t know about that; she did have a key after all, but she could have lifted it from her husband.

He stood in the lobby and watched everyone going about their business. There was a youngish girl there with dark hair, and he decided that she was as likely as anyone to have helped Patterson’s wife.

Women tended to stick together; that was just a fact, and the probability that a man would break the rules in such a way was not likely. Not where money was concerned and certainly not to help a wife run away from her husband. This had woman written all over it.

He watched the dark-haired girl as she went about her day and waited. Eugene had all the time in the world, and New York City was a nice change from the suburbs of New Jersey where he laid his head down every night.

He took a final look around and walked out of the door, he set himself up in a coffee shop across the street, with a view of the bank doorway and now he would wait.


	9. Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this took so long. I am working on all my WIPs. Which one do you all want me to work on next? Let me know. Xoxox Krissy

“””””Oh, my man  
He got them real strong hands  
And after working all day out in that hot sunshine  
He comes walking in always lookin' so fine  
Oh, my heart  
Lights up like shooting stars  
He like a knight in shining armor with them blue jeans on.””””  
Tuxedo by Clare Dunn

Daryl had a few things to finish up at the garage, and he took Jamie along. It was the weekend still, but he had promised Maggie and Glenn that he would at least look at Christine. Jamie was happy to tag along, glad to be with him. He was far and away from the men she was used to, Greg and his friends. Daryl was so different, a working man with dirty hands, and he was all she could have wanted.

She sat on the floor next to him and handed him tools as he worked on Maggie’s green nightmare with the radio playing in the background, soft country and classic rock, Mere’s preference. They ordered a pizza from the pizza joint Glenn owned and spent the day talking about their next move. As they sat opposite each other on the floor eating and talking and she told him more.

When she was done telling her story, he wondered what a woman like her was doing sitting on the floor of his shop eating pizza. She came from the million-dollar world, from the places that the people on House Hunters were from. He knew the show because Merle was addicted to it and made him watch it sometimes. She was a long way from the world she came from.

Jamie fit in, though; she amazed him. She wasn’t afraid of anything, and she had more balls than some men he knew.

“This is a beautiful car,” Jamie said motioning towards Christine.

“It’s a nightmare, and it’s possessed,” Daryl replied.

“Still…” Jamie mused. “My father was a mechanic; he would have been all over this; he loved exotic cars.”

“Is he gone now?” Daryl asked.

“Yes.” She said. “For a long time now, he would have liked you.”

Daryl smiled at that, the idea of anyone’s father liking him was foreign to him. The Dixon’s had a reputation in the area, and most Daddy’s did not want to see them coming to call. Both Daryl and Merle had made something of themselves, and the old man was gone, but not his memory. Not for a lot of people.

Jamie leaned against the side of the car and looked up at the ceiling. “I can’t even begin to tell you how many school afternoons and weekends I spent in a garage, just like this. He had an old 80’s Porsche 911 Targa, Connie.” She smiled at the memory.

“Sweet ride.”

“She’s in storage in New Jersey.” She murmured, and Daryl looked over at her and grinned. “She’s mine.”

“You’re full of surprises aren’t you?” He said leaning next to her on the Jag. Jamie smiled, looking down at her feet.

“Kinda.” She laughed.

“It’s alright.” He bumped her shoulder. “I love it. Where in New Jersey?”

“Some little pine barrens town called Tuckerton, not too far from where the money is.”

“You’re very smart.”

Jamie grinned, and then her phone rang. She answered, and it was Tara; she could hear the traffic of New York in the background, and she found that she didn’t miss it the way she thought she would. That was her old life, she had a new life now, with this new man.

“Hey, Tara,” Jamie said into the phone. “You OK?”

Daryl leaned over and listened to the conversation when Jamie motioned for him.

“I’m fine, but I noticed this guy hanging around the bank the last two days.” She said as she walked down the street and looked the man behind her. “Now he’s following me; he’s not very subtle.”

“Tara, are you sure you’re safe.”

“I’m in Times Square…Hang on.”

Jamie and Daryl joined hands as they listened to Tara yelling on the other side of the phone. The words were hard to make out, but it was clear that she was yelling at the guy she thought was following her.

“She doesn’t take any crap does she?” Daryl asked.

Jamie shook her head; that was the way you had to be in New York City, or you got eaten alive. That was just a fact. Soon Tara was back on the phone and telling Jamie that she just scared the shit out of the PI and ordered him into the nearest Starbucks’s to buy her a cafe mocha.

“Me and this Eugene guy are gonna have a little chat; I’ll call you later,” Tara replied. And then she was gone.

“She’ll handle it,” Jamie said, still leaning against the car.

“No doubt.” Daryl laughed. “So, you think he’s looking down this way for you?”

“Yeah.” She murmured. “He has connections everywhere, and I have a feeling that money wasn’t even his, and I’m not sorry.”

“Why did you take it?”

“I was in a panic after the last time he hit me, I just, I was so mad…” Jamie said. “He used my inheritance from my father down at Monmouth Park, betting on horses, that’s what we were fighting about that day. I told him I was filing for divorce. The car was all I had left. I hid her from him before he tried to sell her.”

Daryl slipped his arm over her shoulders and held her against him. “We’ll figure this all out, get your car for you too. Guess a woman driving a Targa would have stuck out like a sore thumb around here huh?”

Jamie laughed, and they walked down towards the car and ate another slice of pizza.

“Almost done here and then we can meet Merle and my Uncle Abe at the bar. Make some plan. I think we should drive to NJ, hole up in one of those fancy casinos for a bit, get your money and your car. Merle and Abe can come; we’ll close the shop for the week.”

Jamie nodded, and he leaned down to kiss her softly. “You make me feel safe,” Jamie said looking up at him, getting lost in his blue eyes again, like usual.

Just then the phone rang, and it was Tara. She was back out on the street and yelling into the phone so loud that Jamie could barely understand her.

“Greg hired this guy to follow me in hopes of finding you and the money. Vinnie the Snake told him he has five days to get the money back or he’s getting buried in the Pine Barrens, Jonesy said that after he raised hell with him the other day. They’re gonna kill Greg. Eugene is picking me up in an hour, and we’re coming down there.”

“Wait. What? Tara, who’s Eugene?”

“The PI guy, I don’t have a car, but he’s from Hackensack, so he does. He doesn’t work for Vinnie, and he had no idea Greg owed him that money, I let him know that little fact. He wants nothing to do with Greg or Vinnie, he just called Greg and traced him to South Carolina. He’s knocking on your door, but I think Vinnie’s guys must be following him, what do you think?” Tara said.

“I think you better slow down, don’t come here Tara.”

“Screw that! turns out Eugene knows Denise, she gave him a tetanus shot last year when he stepped on a dirty nail while following some cheating husband in Battery Park. He feels totally and utterly in her debt after she was kind enough to give him the anti-venom to combat his almost certain death from tetanus, his words not mine. Anyway he’s in, and we’re taking a road trip, Denise is coming too, see you tomorrow.”

Then she hung up.


	10. Twelve

“I can’t have children.” Jamie said suddenly as she and Daryl got into his bed that night. The day had been stressful and Tara was due in a few hours. She didn’t really know why it tumbled out of her mouth the way it did, at that particular time, but it did, so she went with it. “I had cancer.”

Until this moment it had never mattered to her. She would never have had children with Greg, never. But when she looked at Daryl she saw a kind and gentle man, a man who would never hurt her and she was sad, for the children they could never have.

His eyes went soft at the thought of all the things she had suffered in her life, one thing after another and he made up his mind to make sure her life was full of good things from now on. She was so sweet and so kind, even after all she had gone through and it about blew him away.

Daryl wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against him until she was sitting between his legs, with her back to his chest. “That don’t matter to me, never even crossed my mind.”

“It crossed mine. I finally meet someone I would consider procreating with and…”

Daryl got that, he had never thought of procreating with anyone else either, if this woman had wanted children, he would have given her all she wanted. But that wasn’t how it was meant to be and he got it. He loved her, and nothing could ever make him stop.

“Shhhh, I want you all to myself anyway.” He kissed the back of her head. “I’m sorry you had cancer, my mom did too.”

“I’m sorry.”

Daryl brought his hands down to her waist and turned her around so that she was facing him and her legs were straddling his.

“Let’s talk about our future.” He said, looking into her eyes. “That’s all the past now.”

“Daryl, you realize there’s a storm of trouble coming my way.” She said as he pulled her closer and stared at her lips.

“Our way.” He replied and kissed her softly. “Trouble is coming our way, I’m in this with you.”

“I wish you weren’t,” Jamie replied.

“Too late.” He ran his hands down over her ass and squeezed. “I ain’t going nowhere.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt. For anyone to get hurt.”

He hugged her tighter. “Don’t you worry, me and Merle got this, when your friends get here, we’re gonna feed them a nice breakfast and talk this all out.”

He took her hand in his.

“Then we’re going to go get your car and your money.” He stated as his fingers rubbed her knuckles.  
“Do you think less of me because I stole it?”

‘Hell no, sounds like you earned it.” He kissed her hand “I could never think less of you for anything, you’re the bravest woman I ever met.”

“We should sleep, Tara said they’ll be here by five am.” Even as she said that he was already sneaking his hands down over her stomach. She tried to move but his breath on her neck and his whispered words stopped her cold.

“Not yet sweetheart, stay your ass right there.” He brought his lips to her ear. “Turn back around.” He whispered hotly in her ear and she obeyed, thrilled by his words and by the fact that this man, the kind and gentle one had another side, that was just for her.

For them, now.

He brought his hands to her breasts and as she settled her head back against his shoulder. Jamie let out a deep sigh as his hands moved lower and nudged her legs apart. She had never been with someone so blatantly sexual before. Greg never made her feel the way Daryl made her feel, not ever. His cruel words threatened to invade her mind just then and she blocked them out. Words like ugly, unlovable, fat, stupid and she knew she was none of those things, and this man had changed all of that.

She moaned softly as his fingers made contact with her soft flesh and she looked across the room at his dresser and the mirror above it. She could see both of them. Her legs spread wide and his hands on her breast and between her legs.

She laid her head back on his shoulder and

33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

The next morning Tara and Eugene were there and Tara had them captivated with her story.

“The police arrived so we had to relocate,” Tara explained as she came up the stairs to Daryl house and hugged Jamie, “I thought I’d never see you again.”

The hugged for a long time and then Jamie started making introductions, Daryl stood behind Jamie and Merle as well, Tara’s eyes lit up as she saw them both.

“Well, look at you Jamie here with two lookers. I’m Tara and this is Eugene Porter, he’s with us now.” Tara explained.

“Come on in and get some food,” Merle offered, “And let’s make our plan.”

///////////////////////////

“I feel like he’s here,” Jamie explained as they sat around the kitchen table, “It’s just a feeling I know, but the air is different…”

“Well, yeah,” Tara answered, shoving a piece of bacon in her mouth, “You can smell the sulfur wherever he goes.”

“So, you really think he’s here already?”

“He had a two day start on me, at least,” Tara explained, “Apparently Eugene here wasn’t the only investigator he hired. So we gotta get moving.”

“We need to go to AC, get the money and then you have to disappear for a while,” Eugene countered, “Costa Rica is nice this time of year.”


	11. 11

This story has taken me years to finish. I don’t know exactly what happened to it or why it was so hard to finish but here it is, for better or worse. I need it off my mind and off my heart.

////////////////////////////////////////

The Atlantic City skyline came into view as the sun came up and Daryl took her hand. He had never been this far north and the traffic blew his mind. The plan was for him to see a lot of new places now. It had only been days, but this was right, they belonged together.

The ocean was beautiful and they walked on the boardwalk as soon as they got there because Jamie wanted french fries with malt vinegar. Daryl thought it was the grossest thing he ever heard of, but he indulged her and she assured him that was the way everyone in the North ate them.

Tara and Eugene backed her up but Merle was steadfast and used ketchup with Daryl. After the fries all of them checked into the Hard Rock Hotel and crashed after the fifteen-hour drive. The next day they liberated her car from the storage unit, and Connie started up right away after Merle and Daryl tinkered with her just a bit.. The plan was for them to get the rest of the money and head west for a while.

Tara was going to keep her ears open in Atlantic City, and Merle was going to keep watch in Georgia. Eugene was heading back to New York, each was a little richer for their trouble. As Daryl and Merle stood in the parking lot of the airport, the shook hands then hugged.

Then Merle watched his little brother driving off in a 1983 Porsche Targa, with the T- tops off and a beautiful woman at his side; plus a trunk full of cash. Merle was no longer worried about him and their friends wouldn’t be either. Somewhere their mother was watching and approving, he had finally met the woman that went through him and he was hers with every ounce of his being.

That’s what their mother wanted for both of them, if she were there she would know she never had to worry about Daryl again.

They had beat her ex to the money and the car, and Daryl planned to change her name as soon as they could get her a Las Vegas divorce. That was the first place they were headed, then to California and wherever they wanted.

Merle got on the plane with a clear conscious, he was heading back to Andrea and to keep helping Abe at the shop until Daryl and Jamie came back in a few months married and off the grid and radar of her ex. 

Sometimes when you least expected it, your life changed for the better, even if you weren’t looking for love, sometimes it came looking for you. THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think.


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